Confinement
by Kawaii Kitsune
Summary: A forbidden cave. A deadly mystery. The Reikai Tantei must unravel the past and absolve a twothousandyearold betrayal before one of their own is sacrificed for the sake of justice. [warning: HxK slight]
1. Conception

Author's note: I normally write my comments at the end but I thought I'd try something different this time around. The inspiration for this fic actually came to me in a dream. It was a weird dream but I thought it'd make a cool story, and here it is. Hope you enjoy. Just a warning, it has yaoi (HxK) but I'll probably keep it mild. 

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. 

* * *

**Confinement**   
Prologue: Conception 

The cave was forbidden to all. Everyone knew that. It's because a monster lived inside. No one who's entered has ever returned, alive or dead. So even though it took days to go around the mountain, no one ever took the shortcut through the cave. It was just too risky. 

San-wei knew all the rules and regulations about the cave. He's heard all the myths and legends about the monster that dwells within. But no matter how many times he's been told to stay away from the mountain, he wouldn't listen. His teenage mind didn't believe in the stupid superstitions that the elders told. They were a bunch of old, senile men who couldn't tell the difference between an apple from a banana. San-wei's generation was much more realistic. 

That was why he wasn't far from the cave when he heard the voice. 

The voice was female, melodious and soft. It was also crying for help. There was a sense of urgency in the tone, as if time was of the essence. San-wei stared into the entrance but he knew he wouldn't see anything. The tunnel leading into the mountain cave was long and winding. One could only see several feet into the tunnel before it turned pitch black from the lack of light. Still, the boy gazed into the tunnel and cried out. "Hello?" His voice echoed, bouncing off the walls of the cave. 

"Is someone out there?" the voice yelled back. 

"Who's there?" San-wei asked, "What are you doing in there?" 

"I wanted to explore," the voice answered, "but now I'm in trouble. Can you come in and help me?" 

San-wei was unsure. It was forbidden to enter the cave. Even if he didn't believe in all the nonsense about a monster, he was not eager to break the village law. On the other hand, he couldn't consciously leave a girl who was in trouble. Hell, maybe he'll be praised as a hero for saving her. At the very least, he could prove to all those old geezers in the village that their monster tales were wrong. 

"I'm coming to help you," San-wei yelled, "Just keep talking and help me find you." He started to enter the cave. 

"Oh thank you," the voice said with obvious gratitude, "And thank goodness you were there at just the right time. I would've died if you hadn't been out there." 

San-wei was already feeling better about the whole thing. His uneasiness started to disappear and his confidence started to build. I'm doing a brave thing, he thought to himself. I'm a hero, he said in his head over and over again as he traveled down the tunnel and further into the cave. He looked backwards but could no longer see the entrance. So he continued walking forward. 

It soon became too dark to see. San-wei used his hands to touch the walls of the tunnel and let it direct his way. Along with the guiding voice of the girl, he eventually made it all the way into the cave. 

The sight was breathtaking. It was an enclosed paradise. The cave was not dark as would be expected. Rays of sunlight shined down from cracks in the walls and ceiling of the cavern. Trees grew all along the walls. Grass covered in long stretches, creating a giant green carpet. Flowers of every variety sprouted within that carpet, adding decorative colors to it. And in the middle of it all was a great lake, spanning a mile in diameter. It was the bluest lake San-wei had ever seen. 

It was in the lake that San-wei found the girl. From the distance, he could see that the girl was young, probably no older than seventeen or eighteen, the same age as him. She was dressed in a simple white tank top with one of the straps ripped and hanging uselessly. The rest of her body was in the water. The girl was gripping onto a tree limb from the dead oak that shot up in the middle of the lake. 

Upon seeing San-wei, the girl cried out with joy. "Thank goodness you're here." 

"What's the matter?" San-wei asked. 

"When I saw this beautiful lake, I thought it'd be nice to go for a swim," the girl explained, "But when I swam to the center, I suddenly got a leg cramp. It was a good thing there was something here for me to hang on to or I would have drowned. I've been calling for more than two hours. The water's cold and my whole body is numb. I don't know how long I can hold on so please hurry and save me." 

It was a piece of cake for San-wei. He was a very capable swimmer. The boy ran towards the lake and started to take off his shoes and socks, shortly followed by his shirt. He dipped his right foot into the lake water, testing its temperature. It was a bit cold but nothing a young man like him couldn't handle. Without another moment of hesitation, he dove in. 

After the initial reaction to the coldness of the water, he swam avidly towards the oak tree and the girl. He was halfway there when he felt something tug at his left foot. San-wei tried kicking, trying to shake off whatever it was that caught his foot. 

It didn't let go. 

Soon his right foot was caught as well, immobilized and trapped. And then San-wei was pulled underneath the surface of the water. 

He never surfaced again. 

* * *

You probably have no idea what's going on right now but don't worry, it'll all be explained later. I like building suspense in my stories; makes it more fun. This is pretty much a teaser. Hope you enjoyed it and continue to read the rest of the story. Please review! 


	2. Conflict

Author's note: Another installment. Enjoy. And please review! 

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. 

* * *

**Confinement**   
Chapter One: Conflict 

The problem with being in charge of the Reikai was that you're never in charge of _only_ the Reikai. No, the duties went far beyond that. You had to make sure the Ningenkai was safe and sound, with no threats from the Makai, meaning that you had to keep an eye on the Demon Realm as well. And of course, there's always the paperwork that needed to be done in the Spirit World, the processing of all the confused souls. So much work. 

Koenma was taking a short break from his tasks when the ferry girl entered his office. She held a massive book and three manila envelopes in her arms. The girl walked smoothly towards Koenma's desk and offered him the objects with a controlled expression. The lord took the objects from her and looked at it. 

The book was ancient, the cover worn by time. The seams were coming apart and many of the pages were ripped or missing. The title was fainted, almost nonexistent, but Koenma made out the words: "Creatures of Legend." He was confused as to why the ferry girl had brought him the book, but he decided to ask her after he went over the contents of the envelopes. He placed the book aside. 

Koenma took one envelope and opened it. It held a thick stack of paper, probably around two thousand pieces. The first paper listed a name, accompanied by two dates, a picture and a few paragraphs of information. There was nothing unusual about it; for every person that died, there was a record documenting the details of his or her life. Koenma quickly flipped through the entire stack and found that they were all just routine documents. He was puzzled. 

"These all appear to be normal," Koenma said to the ferry girl, who was still standing in front of his desk, "I don't see why you brought this to me." 

"Well, sir," the girl started, "these records were accumulated from a small area situated around a mountain in China. What I've brought to you is probably a fifth of the whole collection." She paused, preparing what she's about to say carefully. "As you've already mentioned, there's nothing bizarre or unusual about the records; they're all normal. However, none of the souls that were mentioned in the records ever reached the Reikai." 

Koenma was utterly stupefied, rendered completely speechless. He leaned back in his chair and took a few moments to come to his senses. _How can that be?_ He looked at the other two unopened envelopes. _And this is only a fifth of it? That's three thousand souls! How's it possible that they could have three thousand souls missing and not have noticed till now?_ Koenma voiced his question. 

The ferry girl looked a bit uneasy. "We're busy people, sir, as you yourself understand. These records date back as far as two thousand years ago. People get sloppy or lazy, papers get misplaced or overlooked, and souls get lost or forgotten. It's only lately that we've cleaned through all the files and checked every soul we've processed. We anticipated mistakes - it would have been impossible not to - but nothing like this. This anomaly was unexpected. We thought that you should know about it immediately." 

"And this book?" Koenma asked as he pointed to it, "What's the meaning of it?" 

"We did a little research on the area. There seems of be legend about a monster that dwells in the cave of the nearby mountain. No one knows what it is because those who have entered the cave never returned. We believe it's this monster that's been stealing the souls of its victims." 

"Have you a guess at what kind of monster it is?" 

"Nothing conclusive, sir. Villagers around the mountain reported hearing sounds from inside the cave, a female voice. Sometimes it was singing, other times it was crying. Our guess is that it's a Siren." 

"Hmm…fits the profile. There have been Sirens known to take souls. But I thought they dwelt in oceans and seas." Koenma lowered his head in thought. "Whatever it is, this can't continue. Get me Yusuke and his team." 

The ferry girl turned and left. 

  


  
The four members of Urameshi-tachi arrived in the Reikai palace an hour later. Yusuke and Kuwabara were still complaining about being called upon during their peaceful summer as they walked into the office. Kurama had his usual calm expression. Hiei was detached as always. After seeing Koenma in his teenage form, which indicated the gravity of the situation, Yusuke and Kuwabara stopped their whining and allowed the lord to start his debriefing. 

"I want you all to know that this is a serious matter," he began, "If it was less serious, I wouldn't have disrupted your summer." The lord sighed. "There is a monster loose in the Ningenkai, one that steals souls. So far it's stolen more than three thousand souls, possibly much more. You have to prevent it from stealing any further ones." 

They were shocked. Even Hiei let his surprise show through his mask of indifference. Three thousand was unheard of, even for the most powerful demons because they were usually arrested or destroyed by the Reikai before they reach a hundred souls. Whoever this demon or monster was, it was powerful and elusive, smart and cunning. They would have to be very careful on this mission. 

"The creature resides within a mountain cave in China. For as long as the people could remember, the mountain has been known as Jinshan, basically meaning Forbidden Mountain." Koenma continued, not delaying to answer their startled looks. "Now, we don't know for sure what the monster is, but from all the information we've gathered, we believe it is a Siren." 

"But Sirens dwell in oceans," Kurama interrupted. The others glanced at him with curious stares. "Studying myths and legends is my hobby," the redhead simply explained. They all shrugged and turned their attention back to Koenma. 

"Yes, that's true," Koenma said, "But there have been cases where Sirens traveled inland, probably for more of an audience." 

"An audience?" Kuwabara asked. "That's right," Koenma said, and then he looked at Kurama, "Kurama, how much do you know about Sirens?" 

"Enough," he merely answered. 

"Good. You can tell them the details on the plane. You guys are scheduled for the next flight from Tokyo to Shanghai." 

  


  
"I think I should start explaining now." 

The team took off an hour later, after they were sped home to pack and notify their families. They were then rushed to the airport where they immediately boarded their plane to China. Naturally, they were seated together, and when the seat belt light eventually went off, Kurama decided that it was time to start his lecturing. 

"First of all, Sirens are normally gentle creatures, beautiful and serene. They usually don't wish harm upon others; all they want is to sing and have their songs heard. Of course, there are exceptions to the norm. The Sirens of Greek mythology is one prime example. There are others but I won't get into the petty details." 

The other members of the team seemed bored, not caring to hear about the usual nature of Sirens. Kurama decided to skip right to the crucial part. 

"A Siren's voice is heavenly, divine beyond words. Simple speech can be turned songs. However, that same voice can be turned into a weapon. Sirens can manipulate their voices to bring pain and agony through their songs. They can stop hearts, burst veins, and shatter bones." 

Yusuke and Kuwabara seemed vaguely surprised that songs could be so destructive. Hiei was his usual taciturn self. 

"Sirens are not soul-suckers; they live off fish and other creatures of the ocean. The only reason some steal souls is for an audience." 

"Koenma mentioned that," Yusuke interrupted, "What exactly does that mean?" 

Kurama nodded to the black-haired boy. "As I mentioned before, Sirens only wish to sing and be heard, which means they long for audiences. Most find them among people, who love their songs so much, the humans stay by the Sirens until they die. And in turn the Sirens come to love the humans so much for their admiration and devotion that they wish for the humans to never leave." 

"If that's the case, I don't see the problem," injected Kuwabara. 

"That's precisely the problem. The Sirens want the humans to never leave, not even in death. They work magic through their songs and trap the souls of the deceased inside the corpses. The bodies are dead but the souls are still very alert, able to enjoy their songs for as long as the Sirens live, which is usually for hundreds of years." Kurama fell silent after he finished. 

Yusuke shook his head in disbelief. "We must be facing one hell of a Siren," he stated, "Three thousand souls." It was still a shocking figure for all of them to grasp. "And how long did Koenma say this has been going on?" 

"Two thousand years, maybe longer," Kurama answered him. 

"Geez, that's one old broad. This isn't gonna be easy." 

Little did they know how true that statement would prove to be. 

* * *

A lot of boring info but it had to be written. It's all part of the story. Please review! 


	3. Confidence

Author's note: Ignore the fact that there's a language barrier 'cause honestly, if I was gonna pay attention to that fact, I'd be writing in Japanese. And I can't do that 'cause I only know a few phrases in that language. ^_^ So just pretend that everyone speaks English/Japanese. 

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. 

* * *

**Confinement**   
Chapter Two: Confidence 

There were outsiders in the village. 

Yi-wei thought it was unusual. Travelers never came to Xicun. For the twenty-two years he's lived there, he had never seen anyone from outside the four villages around the mountain come. And now there were four outsiders walking down the streets, trying to find a place to stay for the night. 

They all stuck out like a sore thumb. One had black hair, held up by an ample amount of gel. He seemed to have cocky attitude. One of his associates was tall and clumsy, his voice loud and obnoxious. The third was a slender redhead, with emerald green eyes and a quiet demeanor. The last in the group was a short boy dressed all in black whose hair seemed to defy the laws of gravity. He seemed to be perpetually angry, glowering at everyone, even his traveling companions. 

Yi-wei watched them from afar. They seemed harmless enough but one could never be sure about outsiders. After half an hour of silent stalking, he discovered that they had come because of Jinshan; they were interested about the mountain cave. The villagers they talked to were not answering their questions, most staring at them as if they were insane. Yi-wei decided to introduce himself at that time. 

They didn't seem surprised when he approached them. In fact, they looked as if they were expecting it. Yi-wei walked up to the black-haired boy dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, since he appeared to be the head of the group. He stopped within five feet of the boy and finally spoke. "I can tell you about Jinshan." He waited for a response and when the boy smiled and asked him to proceed, he did. "I'm Yi-wei. My brother San-wei went into that cave exactly two weeks ago." 

That apparently caught their attention because they immediately pulled themselves aside to talk to him. They introduced themselves and waited impatiently for Yi-wei to continue. He decided that the streets were far too populated for this kind of conversation so he led them to his home. After they were all seated, he started. 

"There are laws banning anyone to enter or even go near the mountain cave, one with severe punishments." 

The four of them nodded, acknowledging that they already knew about the laws. 

Yi-wei continued. "Everyone in the villages around Jinshan knows its legends and myths but my brothers and I never really believed in them. We knew that they were just bedtime stories to scare kids away from the mountain. However, we had no desire to break any laws and really no need to venture into the cave, so we stayed away like good citizens. Except for San-wei. He had some fascination with the mountain. He loved to stroll around it, spending most of his free time at the entrance of the cave. We saw no harm in it since there was no danger so we let him. And then one day, he didn't return." 

They saw how hard it was for him to tell them, who were complete strangers to him, such a personal tragedy. The redhead, Kurama, patted him on the back sympathetically while remaining silent, simply waiting for him to continue when he was ready. The others waited as well. 

"It rained everyday after that day but we searched for him nonetheless. We found nothing. Then, after a week of searching, we found his shoes and shirt on the path leading to the cave; they were carried from the entrance by the rainwater. We knew then that he was dead. We didn't hope to ever find his body; the legends spoke that no one ever returned from inside the cave, alive or dead. The laws were rewritten to be even more critical but it won't make a difference. The death is still recent and fresh in all our minds. I suggest that you stop your stupid inquiries about Jinshan before you get yourselves arrested or killed." 

"Thanks for the advice," the black-haired boy, Yusuke, said. He didn't seem too sincere about it, though. 

"We'll be more careful from now on," Kurama said, "We thank you for your helpful information. And I am deeply sorry for your loss." He did sound sincere. "Did anything strange or unusual happen before or after his disappearance?" 

"Nothing really," he answered but then he went into deeper thought, "Although now that you mention it, it stopped raining immediately after we found San-wei's things. It didn't ease up or anything and then stop; it just stopped." 

Kurama registered the information and slightly frowned. The others noticed his concern but he just shot them a glance that said, "Later." 

"Well, we'll be going now," Yusuke announced, "Thanks for the info." 

"One more thing," Yi-wei added when they all got up to leave, "If you guys are thinking of going into the cave, don't. If you guys are thinking of killing whatever's inside, think again. That thing's survived in that cave for more than two millennia and I'm sure it'll survive you." 

They said their good-byes, not confirming or denying Yi-wei's suspicions about them. Kurama once again thanked him for the entire group and then they let themselves out. Yi-wei just shook his head after they left. He knew he would never see them again. 

  


  
"Spill it, fox," Hiei said as he leaned against the wall next to the open window. 

They had managed to find lodging at a local restaurant. It wasn't a hotel or inn since the village had no need for such things, but there were extra rooms upstairs for villagers who were too drunk or too tired to walk home. Also, every now and then, people from the other three villages come to Xicun to barter for goods. Kurama managed to convince the owner of the restaurant to give them a room to stay for the night. It took much persuasion on the fox's part but the owner eventually consented and now all four of them were packed into the tiny room. 

"Yeah, Kurama," Yusuke piped in, "You got all worried in that house. So what's up?" 

"It's what he said about the rain," the redhead explained, "If what's inside that cave did make the rain stop, then I'm not sure we're going up against a Siren." 

"Why do say that?" Kuwabara asked. 

"Idiot," Hiei chided, "Sirens don't have power over the weather." 

"You little twerp," Kuwabara retorted, "How the hell would you know?" 

"I read, you oaf, something you're obviously not capable of." 

Kurama decided to intervene before they went for each other's throats. "Guys, calm down. We don't want to cause trouble that'll get us kicked out." That seemed to pacify them for the moment. Both reluctantly stopped their insults and contented themselves by glaring at the other. Kurama sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the tension that was building. 

"Is what Hiei said true?" Kuwabara finally asked. 

"Yes, Sirens are not capable of changing the weather, which is why I'm worried." 

"Well, I think we're blowing this rain dealy all out of proportion," Yusuke said as he plopped himself onto one of the beds, "Probably just a strange coincidence." He flopped over and lied on his stomach. "I mean, look at the information we have: the female voice, the singing and crying, the soul-trapping. And this place isn't that far from the ocean. It all fits. If it's not a Siren, what else could it be?" 

"I can't think of anything else." 

"There ya go, it's gotta be one. We're making too big a deal out of what that guy told us." 

"I guess you could be right," Kurama conceded. 

"'Course I'm right," Yusuke said with confidence, a smug smile on his face, "And tomorrow, I'm ready to go kick some Siren butt." 

They left the issue at that. 

Since they planned to leave for the cave early in the morning, before the rest of the village woke, they went to sleep immediately after they discussed ways to fight a Siren's song. There were only two beds in the room. Naturally, Kurama and Hiei shared a bed. They had been a couple for more than a year now and sleeping together was nothing new. Yusuke, however, refused to sleep in the same bed as Kuwabara, and Kuwabara did not protest the complaint. They flipped for the bed and Yusuke won. The other was forced to hard, wooden floor. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, but within fifteen minutes, he was snoring loudly, obviously in deep sleep. 

While the others drifted into dreamland, Kurama lied awake, still trouble by Yi-wei's tale. Something was missing from the puzzle but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. Kurama sighed deeply. _Maybe I am taking all this too seriously._ He snuggled a little closer to Hiei, comforted by his warmth. _I just wish I didn't have this nagging feeling that something's about to go wrong._ He closed his eyes and eventually found the solace of slumber. 

  


  
Kurama was dreaming. 

He knew he was dreaming because he was floating, weightless and free. His translucent body was surrounded by nothingness. And then the visions started. 

At first there were only sounds, muffled but growing clearer by the second. After several moments, Kurama could make out all of the words of an obviously heated conversation between a man and a woman. Their voices were soon accompanied with visuals. 

"What are we doing here?" the female voice said, followed by a quick flash of an image of her. Kurama couldn't get a good look at her since the picture only lasted for a second but she seemed to have long silvery-white hair and blue eyes that were so light that they looked almost white. The look on her beautiful, youthful face was a puzzled one. 

When her picture disappeared, it was replaced by an image of a young man, probably the age of nineteen or twenty. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes, and seemed a total contrast to the girl. "It's a surprise," he answered her question. 

Kurama was confused. He'd never seen these two before, not in his thousand years as a youko or his eighteen years as a human. _Who are they?_ he thought as he continued the watch and listen. 

The sounds and pictures were coming faster now, and staying slightly longer. He now noticed that the girl was wearing a simple blue Chinese tunic, but what really caught Kurama's attention was the style of it. True some older styles of Chinese clothing were still worn today. Heck, Kurama wore them on almost all the missions. However, the style worn by the girl was much older, much more ancient; they were the kind you saw on the women in old Chinese watercolor paintings. The clothes on the young man were just as ancient, which gave Kurama the impression that whatever he was seeing, which he no longer believed was just a mere dream brought on by his subconscious, it happened a _long_ time ago. He decided to leave that detail till later and watched as the boy led the girl by the hand to a crystal-clear lake. 

_It's kinda dark,_ he mentally commented when he strained to make out their expressions. _Must be a cloudy day._

"It's a beautiful lake," the girl said, looking into the clear water. 

"Yeah, I found it yesterday," the boy said, "Thought you'd like it." 

"I do, although it makes me kind of homesick." 

This small talk continued for a few more minutes but Kurama didn't pay very close attention to what was said. He was busier trying to figure out the purpose of this slideshow vision. Questions like "What's going on?" and "Where exactly _are_ they?" danced around in his head. 

Apparently the girl had similar thoughts as Kurama's. "What are we doing here?" she asked for the second time. "I know it's not just so you could show me the lake." 

Instead of answering her question verbally, the young man brought the girl into an embrace, which she willingly melted into. The boy then looked deeply into her eyes and leaned in for a passionate kiss. Again, the girl did not object. She eagerly placed her lips on his, silencing any attempts at speech. 

Which was the only reason why she did not scream when the boy plunged a dagger into her heart. 

Kurama couldn't believe what he was seeing. Blood was flowing out of the girl's body like a river. And the boy, remorseless and cold, seemed to be collecting the blood in a wooden bowl. The fox was sure the girl was dead at that point but he was proven wrong. 

"Why?" the girl asked, her voice still strong and audible. 

"I've found myself a new girl," the boy answered, "and I can't have you messing things up for us. I know what a temper you have." 

"You know I'll be back," the girl again with an emotionless tone. 

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but by that time, we'll be long gone. And you'll have no way to chase after us." 

"Don't do it. If you do, I swear to make your life and the lives of you descendents miserable." 

"Sorry, babe, no can do," he said as he leaned down for one final kiss from the girl, which she did not acknowledge, "You're too spiteful to keep unrestricted." 

"You'll pay." 

"Probably. But at the moment, I fail to see how." 

To Kurama's horror, the boy retracted the dagger from the girl's chest and used it stab her body again and again until she finally died. It took six stabs to finish the job, each deeper and more painful than the last. The girl did not scream or cry as her blood stained her tunics crimson. She just looked at her murderer with an icy glare that promised revenge and retribution. Kurama sighed in relief when her eyes eventually closed, her last breath draining out of her. 

He woke up with bloody hands. 

* * *

And the plot thickens... Oh, I really don't know how old Kurama _really_ is so I'm guessing at somewhere around thousand years. If anyone knows for sure, tell me! And please review! 


	4. Conundrum

Author's note: I kinda ignored this fic for a while, didn't I? Well, it's not like people have shown any interest in it. Plus, I had crap to do. 

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. 

* * *

**Confinement**   
Chapter Three: Conundrum 

The four arrived at the cave entrance at exactly 5 a.m. Everyone was still asleep, including the sun. The land was dark and air was cold, but they did not mind. They stood before the gaping blackness that was the cave and with a final resignation, entered into its obscurity. 

There was no talking as they traveled along the tunnel, the glowing lanterns as their only source of light. They had agreed to the silence, not wishing to disturb the Siren or provoke her into singing her death song. Yusuke led the group with sheer determination. He followed closely by Kuwabara, whose mind was concentrated in countering the Siren's song, for the only defense against it was pure willpower. Hiei's keen eyesight missed nothing, even in the darkness of the tunnel, but Kurama was lost in his thoughts, dwelling deeply on the vision he received the night before. 

After washing the blood from his hands, he discovered that they came from wounds caused by his own fingernails. Yet, after realizing the blood was his own, Kurama could not shake the feeling that he was responsible for the girl's death. It was preposterous, of course, for the girl, if she ever existed, died long ago and at the hands of her so-called lover. Kurama had no hand in her murder but something inside him just would not let go of this hidden guilt. 

They walked for what seemed like hours in silence. Just when they thought the tunnel would never end, they came to the great opening that was the inside of the mountain. The beauty of the place, even in the dim lighting, surprised them. The sun was obviously rising because they could see beams of light through the cracks. It gave the place an ethereal feel. They had to consciously remind themselves that this utopia was the grave of more than three thousand souls. Once inside the vast space, they split up, as was the plan. They could not afford to remain together as one huge target for the Siren. Divided, there would always be one to finish the mission should the others fail. So, without a single word, they all went their separate ways in search for the singing demon. 

Yusuke somehow found himself by a lake. He must've followed the rays of sunlight for they were most concentrated on the waters and its immediate surroundings. The lake seemed magical, calling and beckoning. At the shore, on top a large boulder, sat a figure in white facing the lake. Yusuke walked towards the figure with confidence and caution. 

As he neared the figure, he heard a voice. A female voice. Yusuke's immediate response was to point his finger at the figure, concentrating his reiki into its tip. But after several moments of no reaction from the body on the rock, he gingerly lowered his hand. It was then that he noticed the voice was not singing; it was crying. 

Yusuke, being the kind of guy that he was, had no tolerance for crying females. He quickly closed the gap between the two, throwing caution to the wind, and stood beside the figure. Because she was wearing a cloak with its hood up, she didn't notice Yusuke, even though he was only inches away. Therefore, she was rather startled when he spoke. 

"Whatcha crying for?" he demanded in a tone that was rather harsh. 

The figure turned her head towards him in alarm, fear evident in her light-blue eyes. Strands of fair-colored hair shaded those eyes and framed her pale, porcelain face. The girl attempted to run, but Yusuke grabbed her arm before she even stood up. 

"Hey, I'm not trying to hurt ya," Yusuke said, his tone softening a bit after witness her frightened state. "I just have a few questions to ask." 

The girl, still very much afraid and unsure, didn't speak. 

"Look, you might think I'm crazy for asking this, but I just need to know if you're a Siren." Yusuke wasn't about to beat around the bush. 

Her eyes widened in surprise at his inquiry, but still, she said nothing. 

"I promise I won't hurt you. Just please answer the question: are you a Siren?" 

With a shaky and hesitant voice, she said, "Y-yes, I am. How did you know?" 

_Finally, we're getting somewhere._ "I'm Urameshi Yusuke, a spirit detective for the Reikai, and I'm here to arrest you for the theft of more than three thousand souls." _God, I sound corny._

The girl cried even harder, tears pouring out of those crystal orbs of hers. She lowered her face into her hands in grief. "I didn't want to do it," she said between sobs, "I didn't have a choice. He forced me to. He made me do it." 

Now Yusuke was utterly confused. "Who's 'he'?" he demanded, watching the weeping figure before him. _This is so not what I expected to see. _

She raised one hand and pointed at the lake. "The demon that lives at the bottom of the lake," she explained. Her crying slowed and she wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. "He's the one that trapped me here and forced me to steal all those souls. He said that he'd kill me if I didn't obey." 

_Well, this is a different twist,_ Yusuke thought, _Why are missions never what they appear to be?_

"Please, you've got to help me," the girl begged, "Get me out of here. I don't want to steal any more souls. I just want to go home." Her tears started flowing again. 

Yusuke couldn't stand it anymore. "Alright, alright! Just stop your crying," he said in an exasperated tone, "I'll get that bastard down there and then we'll get you outta here." 

"We?" She stopped her weeping and looked at Yusuke with a puzzled expression. 

"Yeah, there's four us altogether, including me," he answered simply, "Now, what's this demon like? What are his powers?" The girl shook her head. "I'm not quite sure. All I know is that he lives in the lake. I'd guess that he's a water demon." 

"A water demon, eh? Piece of cake. How do I get him to come up?" 

"He rarely comes to the surface. If you want to fight him, you'll have to swim down to him and lure him up." 

Yusuke groaned. "It's never easy. Why is it never easy?" He took off his sneakers and his socks. He opted to leave his shirt on but then decided against it. After flashing a confident smile in the girl's direction, he jumped into the water. It was cold at first but Yusuke's body soon adjusted to the change of temperature. He effortlessly swam towards the center of the lake and then dove under. It was dark beneath the surface. After a minute of searching for a sign of the demon and his dwelling, Yusuke decided to go up for air. 

He never reached the surface. 

A cyclone formed around his legs, forcefully pulling him under. Yusuke fought against its power but it was just too strong. The twister pulled him deeper and deeper into the water. 

On the surface everything seemed normal. The girl watched the water with narrowed eyes, a smile on her lips. "Gullible fool." She turned from the lake and walked away without another glance back. "Don't worry, Urameshi Yusuke, your friends will be joining you soon." 

  


  
Kurama wandered aimlessly through the trees, not really caring where his feet led him. He knew that he should be searching for signs of the Siren, but something kept bothering him. Everything seemed so…familiar. It was an odd feeling, one that Kurama could not get rid of, no matter how hard he tried. It just felt as if he's been here before. 

_That's absurd,_ Kurama berated himself, _Last time I was in China was five hundred years ago, and it certainly wasn't in this part of China. I would've remembered a beautiful cavern like this._

He continued to zigzag through the small patch of woods, lost in his thoughts. Visions of last night's dream danced in his head, calling him, teasing him. The redhead didn't even notice when Hiei appeared out of nowhere next to him. 

"You're just asking for someone to attack you, fox," the fire demon said. 

That shook Kurama from his thinking trance. "Hello to you, too, love," he retorted, "And don't worry, I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself." 

Hiei 'hned' but did not reply. 

"So, did you find anything?" Kurama asked, focusing on the mission, "Any sign of the Siren?" 

"Not even a peep. Probably doesn't know we're here." 

"Good, let's keep it that way." 

"Hn, with Yusuke and that loud-mouth oaf, it won't stay that way for long." 

They continued walking. Neither said anything for a while, each just enjoying the other's presence, forgetting that they're currently in the enemy's lair. Then, something hit them. It was anything physical; it wasn't an attack. It was more like… 

"Kurama, do you feel that?" 

"Yeah, it's some kind of binding spell. A strong one." 

"Very strong." 

Kurama nodded in agreement, eyes darting around, looking for danger. _Yes…but what's it trying to bind?_

  


  
She noticed Kuwabara coming towards the lake long before he noticed her. She watched as the tall carrot-top walked and she planned her next move. _This must be one of his fellow detectives._ She rustled her clothes a little and forced some tears into her eyes. _Let the show begin. _

With weeping eyes, the cloaked girl ran up to Kuwabara, who was caught completely off-guard. She promptly collapsed into his arms - almost shuddering in disgust because of it - and pretended to gasp for air. Then, she tilted up to stare at his face with her gleaming orbs. _Ew, he's uglier than I thought._ Clutching at Kuwabara's blue shirt, she put a panicked look on her face. "Please, you've got to help him!" she said in her most 'this-is-a-life-or-death-situation' voice. 

The human was completely confused. All he could do was gawk at the beautiful girl in his arms, jaws opened in surprise. 

_Great, a complete idiot. It'll be easy to kill him…if I can ever get him to move!_ "Aren't you a friend of Yusuke's? You've got to save him!" 

Hearing Yusuke's name snapped him out of his stupor. "Wait, what about Yusuke?" 

"He's in trouble! The demon dragged him underwater. He'll die if you don't go and save him soon!" She used her best hysterical impression. 

Kuwabara took all the information in piece by piece and finally reached a conclusion. "Don't worry, fair damsel. I, the great Kuwabara Kazuma, will go and save him." He ran towards the lake and dived headfirst into the water. 

_I don't care what you call yourself, just get in the water and die like the scum you are._ Her eyes shined brightly as she tapped into her powers. And after several minutes without the appearance of either Yusuke or Kuwabara, she left the shoreline, with a sinister smile on her face, to search for the remaining two team members. _Two down and two to go._ Her smile turned even darker. _And I know just where to find them._

  


  


Urameshi Yusuke was already out of breath by the time Kuwabara entered the water. He had been fighting the cyclone for the past twenty minutes with no avail. He had tried everything, even firing a few Rei Gun shots at the cyclone but nothing worked. The only thing keeping him alive was his demon heritage and his superhuman endurance. And now, not only did he have to save himself, but he must save his teammate as well. It was just not his day. 

The raven-haired boy decided that now was not the time to throw some punches. If he wanted to get out of the water alive, he needed to concentrate and focus his energy. He glared down at the eye of the twister that had engulfed him and waited. Yusuke's form began to glow, a blue aura surrounding his entire body as he all of his power converged into his fingertip. With a muffled shout, he released his reiki into the very center of cyclone. 

The impact of it echoed throughout the entire cave, catching the attention of everyone on land. Kurama and Hiei felt the power, and with a simple nod of affirmation between them, they ran towards the source of the attack. They didn't notice the streak of white that ran towards the lake as well. _Masaka! How is he still alive?_ She continued running. _He's more powerful than I gave him credit for._

At first the attack did nothing, but then the chain reaction began. The Rei Gun dissipated the bottom of the twister and the disintegration traveled its way upwards until the whole twister disappeared. 

Yusuke was freed but he didn't celebrate quite yet. He immediately swam up for a much-needed breath of air but just as soon as he surfaced, he dove down again, this time to rescue his friend. Again, he concentrated his energy into his finger, but since he was not in the cyclone itself, he had to be very precise. An off-center attack would result in a wasted shot. Yusuke took aim and fired. 

It hit the twister dead on. 

With a smile of accomplishment, Yusuke swam upwards, not wanting to stick around for the inevitable chain reaction. His head popped up from the water and he breathed in the fresh air once again. Kuwabara soon joined him on the surface, gulping for oxygen. The black-haired teen gave him a victory smirk and swam for the shore, where the two familiar figures of their teammates stood waiting. 

"What happened to you two?" Kurama asked after they reached land and flopped down on the grass out of exhaustion. 

"Some girl came running up to me and told me that Yusuke was in trouble. I went to save him," Kuwabara answered, still trying to regain his breath. 

"What girl?" Hiei demanded, immediately on alert. 

"The Siren," Yusuke said, "She told me something about a water demon living at the bottom of the lake. Said it was making her sing and all that nasty stuff." 

Kurama listened to their stories and shook his head. "I think you've both been played." 

A silvery laugh came from behind them. "At least you're not all as gullible as you appear." 

Kurama turned to face the speaker. He took in her shiny white hair and her glimmering blue eyes. Recognition struck him. "It's you!" 

The girl fixed her glance on him and stared into his emerald green eyes. After only a second of exchanged looks, her face darkened with anger and hate. "_You_!" she hissed. 

And then all hell broke loose. 

* * *

This was a fun chapter to write. I really do enjoy creating cynical characters with complicated pasts. Muahahahaha! Please review! 


	5. Contempt

Author's note: Another chapter! w00t! Happy day. 

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. 

* * *

**Confinement**   
Chapter Four: Contempt 

The energy she released was that of pure unadulterated hate. It was devastatingly powerful and completely out of control. The light-blue aura that surrounded her only grew brighter with every second. Her eyes were glowing white with power. She raised her hands and the earth shook, water shooting out from the ground like geysers. And the geysers were all situated around Kurama. 

"Kurama!" Hiei cried out as the water separated the redhead from the rest of the team. He was ready to jump into the columns of water and save his fox but Yusuke stopped him. The fire demon glared at him with a look that promised death. 

"Don't be stupid, Hiei!" Yusuke reasoned with the struggling demon, "Those geysers could easily break you. She's much more powerful than we thought." 

"Are you telling me to just let Kurama die?" 

"Of course not. I'm just saying there's a better way than just rushing in." 

At the girl's command, the tops of the geysers began to arch inward. They were going to crush Kurama with their awesome force, and she was enjoying every moment of it. _Finally, after two thousand years, justice will be exacted._ She was so intent on destroying the man she trapped with her water that she failed to notice Hiei until it was too late. 

The fire demon countered her geysers with his black flames. The two opposite elements clashed together, steam filling the cave. Hiei poured more of his youki into his flames, completely evaporating a column, leaving an opening. Kurama saw his chance and escaped from his prison. Only after the redhead was far enough from the geysers did Hiei stop his fire. 

"No!" the girl screamed in fury, "I won't let you get away!" 

The Reikai Tantei couldn't see the girl due to the steam in the air, but they felt her power growing. More columns erupted from the ground beneath them. They couldn't hope to fight her, so they ran. And they ran fast. When the steam cleared, they were well within the coverage of the trees. 

  


  
_Kuso! I can't believe I let him get away!_ Her hatred was unbounded. _After all these years, after all the loneliness and pain, I can finally quench my thirst for vengeance._ The vision of the redheaded young man flashed momentary in her mind, giving more fuel for her anger. _And I will make him pay!_

Her white figure gleamed with power but she let it die down. Her aura receded and with it so did the water. She calmed herself and looked around, searching for the object of her hate. When she could find no sign of him or the other three that he was with, she tried something else. 

"You can't escape," she stated, her words resonating throughout the entire cave. She had learned long ago how to project her voice loudly and clearly. "You've entered my domain and there's no way you can get out alive. If you haven't already noticed, the entrances to the cave are no longer visible." 

Hiding amongst the trees, the four members of the Reikai Tantei heard everything she said. Hiei risked discovery by climbing to the top of the trees and searching for the tunnel that they traveled through. He quickly came back down and shook his head. The search came back with nothing, confirming what the girl told them. They were trapped within enemy territory. 

"So run and hide, little pests, run and hide." Her laughter filled the air. "But you can make it easier on yourselves if you just hand over that redhead peacefully. I might let the rest of you go if you just give me what I ask." 

None out of the four of them answered her. Yusuke looked eager to fight, not even considering surrendering a friend to this psychotic girl. Kuwabara was determined to get out of the cave in one piece. Hiei was seething with repressed rage, wanting desperately to rip out the girl's throat. Kurama, however, displayed no outward expression, although inside, he was battling with confusion and fear. 

"Who the hell are you anyway?" 

The words were yelled before Kuwabara even realized that he had spoken out loud. He immediately covered his mouth with his hands but it was already too late; the damage was already done. She had heard and was coming towards them. They all waited for the inevitable attack from the angry girl. 

But it never came. 

"You may call me Shinju," she answered, "It's as good a name as any for you to call me." She was now twenty feet away from all of them, staring straight at Kurama, who was currently standing behind a very protective Hiei. "Now, will you hand him over or will I have to pry his corpse from your cold, dead bodies?" 

Since they had already been discovered, Hiei released his anger. "Touch one hair on Kurama's head and I'll slash you to pieces," he snarled, glaring murderously at Shinju. 

"Kurama… Is that what his name is?" Her blue eyes never left the redhead's face. 

"Oi, what do you want him for?" Yusuke called out to her, "What has he ever done to you?" 

Shinju's expression momentarily darkened. _More than you can possibly imagine._ She quickly regained her composure. "Why don't you ask your dear friend here?" Her look turned into a poisonous glare. 

Kurama didn't know how to react. He was dumbfounded. His mind was whirling with questions but he never voiced any of them. _This girl, this Shinju…she looks identical to the girl from my dream._ Memories of the visions he received last night danced inside his head. _But that girl had died. I saw it. Not even the most powerful demon could have survived such an assault. And this girl is very much alive…right?_ He looked at Shinju who was still staring intensely at him. Her eyes betrayed nothing, not even a clue as to why she hated him so. Kurama was completely lost. 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Yusuke absolutely hated cryptic messages and this one was as cryptic as they come. 

The girl smirked at the redhead's face, which was marred with turmoil. _If you're still alive by the end of this, I just might tell you._ She stepped closer towards her target, the smirk never wavering. "Say your prayers, _Kurama_." 

Shinju's form began to glow again, brighter than before. An unnatural wind blew fiercely as droplets of water started to collect above her head. The water formed into a long sword, which immediately began to crystallize. She raised her arms up and the sword floated into her hands, solid and intact. Shinju grasped the sword by the hilt and aimed the point at Kurama. 

Hiei had had enough. Nobody threatened his fox and lived to see another day. He didn't care if she was the goddess of the universe; she was not getting away with it. The fire demon unsheathed his own sword and raised it to counter hers. "You'll have to get through me first, bitch," he growled. 

"My my," Shinju said tauntingly, "a tad protective, aren't we?" 

Hiei didn't bother to answer; he simply attacked. Their swords met in a loud clash, metal upon crystal. The fire demon had expected the blow to shatter Shinju's seemingly fragile weapon, but instead his attack was brought to a complete halt and was then repelled back towards himself. The girl was no amateur at swordplay. Her moves were fluid like the element she controlled. Hiei could barely dodge all of her attacks. 

"Kurama, get the hell out of here," he yelled as he narrowly missed a slash across the chest, "I'm gonna introduce her to a certain pet of mine." 

Kurama knew not to argue with him. Hiei did not like to use his dragon unless it was absolutely necessary. 

"Be careful, Hiei," he said before turning and putting as much distance between the two combatants as possible. Yusuke and Kuwabara followed closely behind, giving Hiei free reign to unleash his deadly weapon. 

Shinju noticed the sudden retreat. "You won't get away from me!" 

She was about to chase after the fleeing figures but a sudden surge of power stopped her in her tracks. The air started to grow hotter around her. Shinju noticed that Hiei was no longer holding his katana but was instead unraveling the bandages on his right arm. Smoke was rising from his body. 

Before she could realize what was happening, the dragon was released from its bindings. She never even heard Hiei cry out "Jaoh Ensatsu Kokuryuuha" as the serpentine creature flew towards her at an incredible speed. Shinju immediately called upon her element to negate his attack. It worked to some extent but she did not come out of it unscathed. The Kokuryuuha had dissipated after combining with the large amount of water she conjured, but Shinju was now breathing quite heavily with numerous cuts covering her body. 

_She stopped my dragon?_ Hiei was now a little bit afraid, although his outward appearance radiated nothing but calmness. 

"Congratulations, little one," Shinju said in a slightly praising tone, "You've managed to injure me. No one's done that for two millennia." She licked a bleeding cut on the back of her right hand. "But the next time we meet, it will be your blood that flows. Yours and that pretty redhead's." 

Then she disappeared. 

  


  
"I'm gonna have Koenma's hide for this!" Yusuke was grumbling and yelling at the top of his lungs. "This was supposed to be simple mission: go in, capture the Siren, get out. Simple!" He took out his frustration on a poor, defenseless pine tree. 

"Calm down, Yusuke," Kuwabara said rationally, which was a change in behavior, "We've got bigger things to worry about than Koenma. Like what's the deal between that girl and Kurama." The human turned his attention to the redhead, who was sitting on a small boulder with his elbows propped up on his knees. 

Kurama rubbed his face with is hands and looked at them all. "I told you," he said, "I've never met her before. Not in my years as a youko and certainly not in my human years." 

"Come clean, Kurama," Yusuke probed, "There was some recognition when you first saw her. Who is she?" 

"Look, I swear I've never met her!" Kurama sighed in fatigue. No one said a word but they continued to stare at the weary fox. "And I was only surprised because she resembled the girl from my dream." 

"What dream?" Hiei inquired, trying hard to fight off the fatigue that followed the release of the dragon. 

Kurama knew that since he started it, he might as well finish it. He told them all about the bizarre nightmare he had the night before. He told them about the meeting between the lovers, the beautiful lake, the conversation they had, and the bloody murder that took place. He described both their features and clothes but he skipped the vivid details when it came to the killing. After he finished his tale, Kurama felt mentally exhausted. 

"So are you saying that the girl from you dream was Shinju?" 

"She couldn't have been, Yusuke," Kurama answered while shaking his head, "The girl in my dream died, and unless Shinju is a ghost, there's no way for the two of them to be the same person." 

"They sure sound similar," Kuwabara noted, "The eyes, the hair, the attitude." 

"And she did say she'd be back," Yusuke added, "Maybe she managed to cheat death or something." 

"One thing's for sure," Kurama said in a serious tone, "We're no longer dealing with a Siren." 

"Why do you say that?" 

It was a bit irksome that Yusuke and Kuwabara knew nothing about mythological monsters and demons. "No Siren, no matter how powerful, could do what she did." Hiei was fed up with their lack of knowledge and decided to educate them. "Sirens have no direct power over the element of water but Shinju manipulated it as if it was an extension of her body. She is definitely not a Siren." 

"Then what exactly is she?" Kuwabara asked, a bit annoyed that Hiei showed him up. 

Obviously Kurama was expected to have the answer because everyone looked his way. "I don't know. I haven't even a guess as to what she is or why she's after me. This is all getting very complicated." 

"Yeah, well, we don't have much time to figure it all out before she attacks again." 

  


  
_Two thousand years,_ Shinju thought as she swam around underneath the surface of the water, cleansing her wounds and then healing them. _I've been confined and isolated in this place for two thousand years. But soon, I'll be free._

The girl had long discarded her ruined white cloak on the shore. She was now simply clad in a white halter top and skirt. Shinju dove towards the depths of the lake and allowed herself to sink deeper and deeper as she admired the scenery. 

Bones of her victims littered the lake bottom. They seemed to gleam from the streams of sunlight through the water. Not an inch of the lake floor was left uncovered. Her most recent prey, the body of young San-wei, was not yet reduced to the state of the others. Pink flesh still clung to the white bones but they were slowly rotting away, pieces of his body falling apart and drifting in the water. 

Shinju continued to swim over the graveyard and stopped only when she reached a rock the size of a small room. The rock was carved out and hollow, allowing enough room to comfortably house the girl. She despised caves so much yet she lived in a makeshift cave within a cave. It was quite ironic but it couldn't be helped; Shinju felt more at home in the water. 

_Oh how I miss home._ She reminisced about everything she'd lost. _My parents, my brothers and sisters, I miss them all. I wonder how they'll react when they see me again._ A smile of amusement appeared on her face as she imagined their faces. 

The girl settled herself into her makeshift bed of water plants. Shinju yawned and stretched, working some kinks out of her weary body. _Stress will kill me someday,_ she joked, laughing slightly. Then she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into a deep sleep, with thoughts of home on her mind. It was the first peaceful slumber she's had in two thousand years. 

* * *

Shinju means 'pearl', by the way. And I found something amusing when I was searching for names and stuff online. Apparently 'kuwabarakuwabara' means 'oh, my God!'. I thought it was funny. Please review! 


	6. Conjecture

Author's note: Took me long enough to finish this chapter. I've been really busy lately. Enjoy! And please review.

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts.

* * *

**Confinement**  
Chapter Five: Conjecture

Another vision. 

Kurama found himself back within his subconscious, once again witnessing something that he did not understand. The transparent redhead floated outside the entrance to the cave. Near the entrance stood an altar bearing the statue of a faceless goddess. Around the altar were crowds of people, all bearing offerings. 

He watched closely as each person brought his or her gift to the altar. There were food, money, jewelry, and clothing. Incense burned next to the statue, releasing intoxicating fumes. After all the offerings were placed, they let a great fire consume the collection while the people got on to their knees and prayed. 

The unknown goddess, however, did not seem to appreciate the people's gifts. The sky darkened suddenly and rain began to pour. The fire was immediately put out. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed, and one thunderbolt struck and destroyed the altar. Nothing remained of it. The people were devastated and frightened. 

_What's going on?_ Kurama thought as the scene faded to blackness, _Why am I seeing this?_ A new scene replaced the old one. 

It was still the same cave entrance but instead of a crowd of people, there were only two. They were a young couple, no more than twenty years of age. The girl looked absolutely terrified. The young man did his best to comfort her but he was not successful. Actually, he seemed afraid as well. They clung to each other as they tentatively entered the cave. 

Kurama continued to stare at the opening for what seemed like forever, waiting for the scene to change again. He didn't expect a bloodcurdling scream echoing out of the tunnel followed by a spine-chilling laugh. The couple was undoubtedly dead. 

The same thing happened again and again. Every time a young couple was sent into the cave and every time they would meet the same horrible fate as the first couple. The scenes were so similar that they looked like repetitions. Kurama stopped watching after the fifth couple but he couldn't block out the screams and the laughs. 

_Stop it,_ he pleaded, _Why am I forced to watch this?_ He begged his mind over and over for the torment to end. After the twelfth couple, his subconscious consented to his pleas. 

"If I can't be free," an angry female voice boomed from inside the cave, "then I will just have to imprison you all." 

That was the last thing Kurama heard before he was snapped out of his trance. 

  


  
"What exactly are we looking for, Kurama?" 

"I'm not quite sure, Kuwabara. Hiei and I felt a strong binding spell earlier, before we met Shinju. I'm guessing that it's what's restricting Shinju within this cave." 

He had awoken to a trio of worried faces; even Hiei had let his concern show. Apparently he just fell unconscious with no warning. They immediately bombarded him with questions, demanding to know what happened and if he was alright. The redhead spent twenty minutes reassuring that he was fine and explaining the details of his newest vision. Kurama assumed that the voice he heard was Shinju's and that she was trapped. How that was done, he wasn't sure yet, and that was precisely why they were all searching for the object of her captivity. 

They searched for an hour with no luck. The feeling of the spell wavered on and off so they could not get a definite fix on its source. And of course, since none of them knew the form of the ward, they could have easily overlooked it during their search. It could have been something as small as a pebble or something as big as a tree. Kurama finally suggested a rest after the unproductive hour. They found a nice elevated spot and sat down. From the space, they had a great view of the entire cave, from the trees to the grasses to the lake. 

Surprisingly, Yusuke was the first to notice it. 

"Hey, Kurama?" he asked slowly. 

"What is it, Yusuke?" 

"I'm not so good with kanji but I'm pretty sure that says 'seal.'" 

"What does?" 

"That." 

The raven-haired young man pointed straight ahead at the cave wall. The others followed the point of his finger and rested their eyes a ledge on the side of the cave. On the wall next to the cave was written the word 'seal' in perfect kanji. The character covered an area of probably ten square feet. It was dark red in color, almost black in shade. 

Hiei undid his bandana and allowed his Jagan to open. He closed his set of normal eyes. After several seconds, his third eye stopped glowing and he placed the white cloth back over it. "That's the source of the binding spell," he confirmed, "And it's written in blood." 

  


  
Shinju would awake everyday expecting to be in her bedroom at home, hoping that all the suffering was just some prolonged nightmare. And everyday, she would be disappointed and saddened by the fact that she was indeed imprisoned, that her nightmare was a reality. Then her anger would re-ignite. 

This time was no different. She woke up to the usual feeling of loneliness and longing, a feeling that, even after two thousand years, never faded. Over such a long period of time, she had learned that crying about it was utterly useless and quite pathetic, especially for a creature like herself. Instead, she turned her intense emotions into power. 

After Shinju left her rock dwelling, she let herself float towards the surface. Once breaking water, she continued her ascension into the air. The porcelain girl flew effortlessly around the inside of the cave, looking down at the familiar view. Though she had long since memorized every aspect of her prison, she still enjoyed the peaceful scenery. 

The white-clothed figure dropped lower as she neared a field of flowers. Shinju stopped her downward motion five feet about the ground, hovering in a slightly wavering fashion. With a raised hand, a blue iris plucked itself from its stem and floated towards her. Shinju took a flower and wove it into her silvery-white hair. Since the reflection of the water was the only way she could examine her new look, she flew towards the lake. The girl slowed her flight and landed when she saw the four boys waiting for her at the shore. 

"If you're trying to avoid me, coming to the lake was not exactly a bright idea," Shinju said mockingly. 

"We're not looking to avoid you," Yusuke replied, "We want to help you." 

The girl smirked, amused by his statement. "Oh really? And why, pray tell, would I need your help?" 

"You're trapped in this cave, aren't you?" he inquired, though he already knew the answer, "If you give us the answers we need, we can free you." 

Shinju's laughter came as a surprise to the Tantei. "Free me?" She continued to laugh, as if what Yusuke suggested was the most amusing thing in the world. Then she got serious, once again wearing the stoic mask of indifference. "You people assume too much," the girl said in a deadly voice, "You assumed that you knew me when you don't even know a fraction of what I am and what I've been through. And the only way you can help me" her gaze fell upon Kurama and Hiei "is to wipe their existence from this earth." 

"Why do you hate me so much?" Kurama asked. That was the question that had confounded him since Shinju first attacked. For the life of him, he could not recall meeting this girl before, not as a youko and certainly not as a human. Yet, she acted as if she knew him well, and he had obviously done something to earn her hatred. "What have I done that has angered you to this degree?" 

"It's not so much as you as the filthy blood that runs through your veins," Shinju answered. She focused her gaze on Kurama alone, forgetting Hiei for the moment. "The grudge I bear is not against you, specifically, but against your bloodline and heritage. You, as the last of your line, must die." 

Kurama's throat suddenly felt constricted, squeezed by a pair of invisible hands. His hands instinctively went to clasp around his neck as if to stop the strangulation. Voiceless gasps escaped from his opened lips. However, since the force behind the constriction was not exactly physical, Kurama was helpless to end it. The fox fell to his knees. 

That was the last straw for Yusuke. The raven-haired leader of the group was getting sick and tired of seeing his friend constantly on the receiving end of unprovoked attacks. It was going to stop. 

Right now. 

The blast of the Rei Gun left Yusuke's fingertips swiftly and forcefully. However, Shinju was not unprepared for such an attack. She simply lifted her right hand and made a pushing motion. The sphere of spirit energy slowed to a stop several inches away from its target. The light from the ball lit up Shinju's entire frame, giving her an eerie glow. She brought her hand back, dragging the sphere with her, and then abruptly pushed forward again, thrusting the ball towards its originator. Yusuke barely had time to duck out of its path. 

The two stared at each other for a moment in silence. Then, suddenly, both sprung into action. They collided in mid-air as a clash of pure energy. Yusuke was surrounded blue while Shinju radiated whiteness. Neither was purely on the offensive or on the defensive. Their blurred movements were faster than any human eye could ever possibly conceive. 

Hiei did not waste time watching the battle. Instead, he used the distraction to free his lover from the slow death he was experiencing. The ward around the Jagan was unbound and the third eye was freed. With it, Hiei probed around the invisible fingers that constricted Kurama's neck. The force was strong, but due to the minimal amount of attention Shinju could spare, the fire demon slowly but surely removed the obstruction. 

The first gulp of air felt like heaven. Kurama's lungs burned with the newly restored oxygen. He gasped in and out, slowly reaching a normal breathing rhythm. During the time necessary for recovering, the fox kept his eyes on Shinju. There was no way he was just going to accept this without contest. He stood as the battle between the mysterious girl and Yusuke came to an abrupt pause. "I don't know who the hell you are or who you think I am," Kurama said to Shinju, "but I will not sit back and allow you to threaten me and my friends." 

As if that was some sort of signal, all four of the Reikai Tantei attacked. Hiei unsheathed his sword and swung lethally at the white-clad girl. The cracks of the Rose Whip filled the air. Kuwabara's Rei Ken shined brightly as it slashed back and forth, each time getting closer and closer to its intended mark. And Yusuke continued his forceful assault on Shinju, punches flying and powers clashing. 

Each attack was carried out in vain. Shinju did not need to dodge as she erected a shield around herself in the form of a sphere. The shield repelled all attacks. Yusuke's Rei Gun shots bounced off the surface. The Rose Whip could not cut through it. Blows from Hiei's katana and the Rei Ken did not even leave a scratch. She had formed the perfect defense. 

_I can't continue this for much longer,_ Shinju thought. _I must finish this soon._ As before, geysers erupted from the earth below and surrounded the area. Unfortunately, the energy required to create such an attack weakened the girl to such a state that her defenses faltered. 

_Now!_ Kurama saw the opening and attacked. His Rose Whip broke past Shinju's shield and wrapped itself around the Shinju's thin frame. He pulled tight on the whip while he willed the thorns to grow longer and sharper, digging deeper and deeper into the girl's body. Shinju screamed a death cry but Kurama did not release his hold. Only when her body sagged and became limp did the redhead let his whip loosen. 

"We did it!" Kuwabara exclaimed, raising his hand in victory. "We killed her. That means we've completed the mission, right?" 

Before anyone could answer, a mocking laughter filled the air. All eyes returned to Shinju's body, which was slowly rising from the ground. Her bloodied form stood as they watched in disbelief. No hands clutched at the numerous wounds to stop the bleeding. Instead, she just stared at all of them and laughed. 

  


  
"Koenma-sama! Koenma-sama!" The blue oni entered the Reikai office clutching a book tightly in his hands. 

"What is it, George?" the baby lord demanded in an annoyed tone, "Can't you see I have a lot of work to finish?" He didn't bother to look up from the stacks of papers he was stamping. 

George laid the book down on top of all the papers. 

"What is this?" Koenma demanded. The title read "The Deities of the Land and Seas." 

"Hinageshi found it," George answered, "She said to turn to the pages concerning Tatsumi-joshin." 

The prince of the Reikai was skeptical about the importance of the request but he did so anyway. A few sentences told him all he needed to know. "Masaka," Koenma whispered, "We have to get them out of there before it's too late." 

  


  
_Masaka,_ Kurama thought, _That should have been a fatal blow._ He stared at the girl with wide eyes. _How is she still standing?_

Shinju's laughter continued to echo through the cavern. The sound was chilling to the bone, filled not with mirth but with anger and madness. Her eyes were possessed with insanity. 

"What's going on here?!?" screamed Kuwabara, "How did she survive that?" 

"Foolish mortals," Shinju said in a derisive voice, "Did you honestly think you could kill me?" She stumbled forward a step. "Did you really think you could win against me?" 

"Kisama!" Hiei was not one to pass up an advantage in battle. He surged forward and drew his sword. His katana slid through Shinju's heart in one swift attack. "You're done for." 

The injured girl looked down at the sword impaled through her chest. She then raised her eyes to meet Hiei's and smiled. "Useless." 

"Nani?" Hiei recoiled back, disengaging the sword from Shinju's body in the process. Shinju laughed again. "That trick may have stopped me two thousand years ago," she said, "but it won't work now." 

Hiei growled in frustration. 

Kurama's mind was racing. Nothing seemed to be working on the girl. _My Rose Whip couldn't kill her and neither could Hiei's Kokuryuuha. Not even a direct blow to her heart did the job._ "What is she?" he whispered, "Immortal?" 

"Bingo." 

* * *

Ah, another chapter done. It's nearing the end; it is within sight. Please review!


	7. Consciousness

Author's note: Sorrysorrysorry. It's been _far_ too long since the last update. Been kinda busy lately so...yeah, here it is. 

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me but all original characters do. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. _/words/_ indicate telepathy.

* * *

**Confinement**  
Chapter Six: Consciousness 

"What does she mean by that, Kurama?" Yusuke demanded. He was getting sick and tired of Shinju's stuck-up attitude and stupid riddles, and now she was just standing there, smirking and speaking nonsense. It was making him very irritated. 

The redhead did not respond. He was too shocked by the girl's response to his whispered question. 

"Oi, Kurama!" Yusuke screamed. 

Kurama finally came out of his stupor and glanced over at the raven-haired boy. "It means it's impossible for us to kill her," he answered in a dead tone, "She can't die. She's immortal." 

"Che, she's gotta be lying," the leader of the group said, "Even I know that only gods can be immortal." 

"It took you long enough." 

"Look, you bitch," Yusuke shouted, "I am sick and tired of you and your damned secrets. Just who the fuck are you?" 

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Shinju asked, "You said yourself, 'only gods can be immortal.'" 

"And you're expecting us to believe that you are a god?" Yusuke stuck out his middle finger to show just what he thought of her answer. "Don't make me laugh." 

Shinju paid no attention to his rude gesture or his remark. Instead, she closed her eyes and focused her energy within her. Her form began to glow again, only this time, it shined with a much greater intensity. The air around her picked up and became fierce cyclones of wind. Her soiled clothes ripped away from her body and her form disappeared in the blinding light. 

The Reikai Tantei crouched into their defensive stances but nothing could have prepared them for what happened next. 

Though they thought impossible, Shinju's form glowed even brighter, so bright that the four of them had to avert their gaze. It was as if her entire body had been engulfed by white light. Then the light started to extend, becoming longer and longer. When the stream of light reached the length of sixty feet, the glow died down. The Tantei looked in horror and awe as a dragon materialized in front of them. 

The dragon was Oriental in nature, long and slender. Her glistening scales were the color of pure snow. Silky white mane covered her back from the top of her head to the tip of her tail. Even in the low lighting inside the cave, her sharp talons gleamed liked diamonds. The dragon's form floated in front of the four detectives, staring at them with amused ice blue eyes. 

"Dra-dra-dragon!" Kuwabara was the first to find his voice. 

_/Aren't you a smart one?/_ Shinju's sarcastic voice appeared inside of their heads. 

"You're a telepath, too?" Kurama inquired. 

_/Only in my true form,/_ Shinju answered, _/Telepathy allows me to communicate with non-dragons./_

"Now that you've shown your true shape," Hiei said, "identify yourself. Who are you?" 

_/I did not lie to you about who I am. Some call me by the name of Shinju,/_ the voice said, _/but perhaps my official title will be more familiar to your ears./_ Shinju's dragon form rose in the air and towered over the four. _/I am Tatsumi-joshin, Pearl of the Sea, the youngest and most beloved daughter of Ryuujin./_ The dragon bared her teeth and flexed her claws. _/And now that I'm in my true form, killing you will be even simpler./_

Everything around them proceeded to erupt.  
  
"I'm definitely gonna kill Koenma for this," Yusuke said in a painful grunt. 

Yusuke didn't quite know how they got away from that attack but they somehow did, though not without some serious injuries. He could feel a few broken ribs under his skin. The raven-haired leader then looked around and surveyed the rest of the team. Kuwabara was lying on his back, breathing heavily and bleeding from several wounds. Hiei managed to get by with only a few cuts and bruises but Kurama had not been so lucky. He seemed to have suffered the brunt of the attack. The redhead was unconscious with his head cradled in Hiei's lap. Most of Kurama's minor injuries had been cared for by the fire demon, but the fox was too pale and too still. Only the steady rise and fall of Kurama's chest indicated he was still living. 

Suddenly, the redhead started to toss and turn, though his eyes stayed tightly shut. He looked like he was having a nightmare. A very vivid nightmare. Kurama's hands were clenched tightly, his nails digging into his skin. Silent moans escaped from his lips. And then his eyes snapped open, filled with sudden realization and understanding. 

"Kurama, what did you see?" Hiei asked. 

It took a moment for the fox to regain his composure, but when he did, he replied, "I think I know why Shinju's after me." He then explained everything.   
  
"Koenma-sama, Botan just came back from Jinshan," George informed. 

"And?" the lord asked, currently in his teenage form, "What did she find?" 

"Nothing," the oni said sadly, "She couldn't get a read of what was happening inside the cave. Tatsumi-joshin must have completely blinded the outside world with her powers." 

"It is as I feared," Koenma admitted. He sighed and looked at the opened book in front of him. He had been reading up on the goddess, her father, and dragons in general. It just did not add up. "Why the animosity, though? Out of the four elemental dragons, water dragons are the Watchers, preferring not to get involved in affairs that are not their own. They are supposed to be beautiful, elegant and aloof creatures. Why trap human souls within a cave?" He pondered on the question for a few minutes but, like all the times before, he drew up a blank. 

"Koenma-sama, what are you going to do about Yusuke and the others?" George asked, "Do you have a plan to rescue them?" 

Koenma sighed again, more sadly this time. "It would be foolish and suicidal to send a team into that cave," he said, "Until we can find a way to defeat Tatsumi-joshin and her powers, Yusuke and his team are on their own. I just hope they know what they're facing." 

George's face looked grim but then suddenly lit up. "Sir, might I suggest an idea?"  
  
"Shinju, or Tatsumi-joshin, fell in love with a human two thousand years ago," Kurama explained, "They were a very happy couple, it seemed. Shinju completely trusted the young man and entrusted him with her secrets. Among them was the only way to seal a dragon: with the dragon's blood. As time passed, the young man's interest in Shinju diminished and he found himself another girl that could his fancy. He couldn't risk the goddess' wrath so he decided to trick her into this cave and trap her here. It worked. The blood seal we saw is proof of that. 

Over the past two thousand years, Shinju's been taking her anger out on the people of the neighboring villages. Since she's a water dragon, and a rather powerful one at that, she has complete control over the element, which meant she could cause floods, draughts, and anything else that's associated with water. She wrecked havoc on the villages until they prayed for her to stop. However, they had to pay a price for her mercy: human sacrifices. Shinju demanded a young couple be sent into the cave every month. She killed them and kept their souls entrapped. 'If I can't be free, I'll just have to imprison you all.' That was her viewpoint. 

The sacrifices started to thin down after a while; the villages were just no longer willing to send young lovers to their graves. Shinju completely lost it and flooded the entire area. That happened about five hundred years ago. A hundred years later, the people began to populate the area again, only they knew nothing about the vengeful goddess trapped inside the mountain. Instead of opening declaring her presence, Shinju decided it was more interesting to trick humans into the cave. She's been doing that for the past four hundred years." 

"That's one messed up lady," Yusuke said, "but it doesn't explain why she hates you so much." 

"I think she has valid reason to hate the one who sealed her here," Kurama countered. 

"You?!?" Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted at the same time. 

The redhead shook his head. "I'm not saying I sealed her personally," he explained, "but from what I've gathered from my visions and our conversations with Shinju, it was definitely my ancestor that did the job. My human ancestor." 

Hiei smirked at this. "Impressive, fox," he mocked, "You manage to make powerful enemies no matter what form you're in." 

Kurama smiled a little, too. "What can I say, Hiei, it's a gift." 

"Well, now I understand why she's so pissed off with you," Yusuke interrupted, "but it's not like it was you who trapped her here. She can't be so eager to kill you simply because you're a decent of her betraying ex-lover." 

"Unfortunately, Yusuke," Kurama said in a solemn voice, "that's exactly why she's so eager to kill me. My death will end the binding spell." 

"How?" Hiei beat Yusuke to the punch on that question. 

"The blood seal that was placed on Shinju is directly connected to the sealer's blood. Simply put, the last of bloodline must die to release the magic on the seal. I'm assuming the bloodline we're talking about is my father's, since Kaasan is most definitely still alive. Tousan has no living kin except for me. I would be the last, then, wouldn't I?" 

"And there's no other way to end the curse?" Kuwabara asked. 

The redhead furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought. "I don't know," he eventually said, "I've read about these kind of seals but no much is said about how to remove them. I suppose there could be another way…" 

"Great!" the carrot-top exclaimed, "All we have to do is find it. Then she'll let us go, right? After all, she only wants to leave this cave." 

"I guess," Kurama admitted, "but to find it and execute it before she finds us and kills us could prove to be very difficult." 

"She's powerful, I'll give her that," the raven-haired leader said, "but she's not invincible. We've managed to injure her before." 

"Baka," Hiei said, "She was in her human form then. Now that she's shown her true self, she'll be a lot more powerful." 

"And I'm sure you've all noticed that she can use telekinesis," Kurama added. 

"Yeah, what about that?" Yusuke asked. 

"Well, even among dragons, telekinesis is a rare ability," the fox explained, "Only the most powerful dragons have the time and patience to develop it enough to actually use it. Two thousand years is a long time to practice and perfect the ability. From seeing Shinju in action, I'd say her powers are near those of her father's." 

There was a moment of dead silence. 

"If she is truly that powerful," Hiei said, breaking the silence, "then we'd best have a plan. I won't let her kill Kurama." 

"Hiei..." The display of concern was underlined with a touch of love. Kurama knew that it was as much affection as Hiei would show in public. 

The fire demon gave a small shrug, as if to say 'don't get all mushy, fox.' "She won't get near Kurama without a fight." 

The other three detectives nodded and they began work on formulating a course of action.  
  
_Damn it, they got away again!_

Though the wounds she had sustained could not render her unconscious, they still took their toll on Shinju's body. It was because of her weakened state that allowed the four Reikai Tantei to survive her attacks once more. Shinju transformed back to her human form as it took up less space and energy to maintain. Her wounds were healing quickly and the blood lost was already being replaced, but the goddess still felt physical exhausted from the numerous battles that took place in such a little timeframe. 

"I suppose I can let them have a few moments of rest," she said as she dove into the lake's water, just letting her body sink towards the bottom. The water felt refreshing against her skin. Shinju looked down at her naked form. "I should probably get another change of clothes, too." With a small smile, she proceeded to do a little "shopping" on the lake bottom. 

She swam slowly through the clear water, stopping every now and then to study a certain corpse's clothing. Finally finding one to her tastes, Shinju used a little bit of her telekinetic powers to remove the outfit from the rotten body. By the time the clothes reached her hands, the water had cleaned it thoroughly. Shinju chose a long sapphire summer dress, one with a blue bow on the back that trailed down the length of the dress. She put it on quickly and then floated above the water to admire her reflection on its surface. All her wounds had healed by then and her skin was once again flawless. 

"Ready or not..." she said before she was engulfed by white light. Her form changed to that of a dragon once again, beautiful and ethereal. _/...here I come./_

* * *

One more chapter and then a short epilogue. Sorry it took so long. Next chapter should be up _really_ soon, I promise. Please review! 


	8. Confrontation

Author's note: About time I updated this, huh? Well, enjoy. 

Note: italics indicate thoughts. _/words/_ indicate telepathy.

* * *

**Confinement**  
Chapter Seven: Confrontation 

_I hope this works…_Kurama thought as he climbed up a side of the cave wall, following Yusuke and Kuwabara. Hiei climbed next to him. 

After brainstorming for a few moments, they decided that it was best if they did not stay in one spot for too long. The next destination was obvious: the place of the seal. It was the safest place for them. The spell placed upon the kanji will serve to protect them, preventing Shinju from getting too close. There, they could have more time to think up of a plan to escape. However, the danger was the journey to the seal itself. 

The source of the spell lied within the character itself, which rested on a face of the cavern wall. The position of the seal was a few hundred feet up from the cave floor, right above a narrow rock ledge. There were no paths leading to the seal so they had to climb. That provided a problem as they would have no cover at all; they would be completely exposed for the enemy to find. Defending themselves while hanging off the side of the cave would also prove to be difficult. It was a very risky maneuver, but it was their best chance of survival. 

And so they climbed. 

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara's voice shrilled, "Can't ya go any faster?" 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yusuke retorted, "_You're_ the one that's slow, you snail." 

"How dare you call the great Kuwabara a snail?!?" 

"Baka!" Hiei hissed, "Can't the two of you keep your mouths shut for more than two seconds?" 

"What did you say, shrimp?" the carrot top screamed down at the fire demon. 

"Guys, please," Kurama, being the mediator, interrupted the argument, "What Hiei was _trying_ to say was that Shinju will hear you. We're already in an open area where we can be easily spotted, let's not attract attention to ourselves." 

Kuwabara grumbled something that sounded like 'smart-ass little shrimp' but then closed his mouth and continued climbing. 

A sudden rise of energy in the air caused Kurama to pause. He looked around and surveyed his surroundings. And because of it, he was able to dodge the boulder that was hurled towards him just in time. 

_/I found you,/_ Shinju's singsong voice appeared in their heads. 

"Shit!" Yusuke swore as he also dodged a block of rock. 

Using her telekinetic powers, the dragon raised more boulders into the air and launched them towards the four climbers. Pillars of water also erupted from below them. They did their best to dodge the onslaught but due to their previous injuries, they were just too exhausted. They were slowing and the rocks and geysers were getting closer and closer to hitting their marks. 

_/There's no hope left for you now./ _   
  
"Ryuujin-sama," an armor clad soldier said, "the prince of the Reikai seeks an audience with you." 

The dragon king sighed and replied, "Tell him that I do not wish to entertain visitors today." 

"My lord, he said it was urgent and that it was something that you would be interested to hear." 

The king sighed again but agreed. "Fine, lead him in, then." 

The soldier bowed and left to fetch the visitors. A moment later, he returned, followed by Koenma. Being not a dragon nor a breather of water, the prince was enveloped in a magical bubble that supplies him with oxygen while inside the underwater palace. 

"Koenma," Ryuujin greeted with a small smile, "What is that you wish to discuss with me that is so important that it could not wait?" 

"Ryuujin-sama, I have news concerning your daughter, Tatsumi-joshin," Koenma said in serious tone, "and I need your help to save my detectives from her." 

The dragon king's smile faltered when he heard the news. "You say you have news about my Shinju?" he asked. 

"Yes, I do," Koenma's voice turned more urgent, "She is currently in a mountain cave nearby a small village in China. She has been killing and trapping the souls of the dead for the past two thousand years. Right now, my detectives are stuck within that cave. If you, her father, could go in there and convince her to stop, I'm sure ¾" 

"I can do no such thing," Ryuujin said sadly. 

Koenma could not believe what he was hearing. "Why not?" 

"Shinju may be my most precious daughter," the king answered, "but I'm afraid she no longer thinks of me as a father. She made that clear to me when she chose that human boy over her family two thousand years ago." 

"But sir, don't you think it's worth a try? Don't you think that over two millennia she would have changed her mind?" 

"If she did change her mind, why did she not return? Why did she insist on remaining on land instead of in the sea, where she belongs?" 

"Perhaps," Koenma stumbled a bit for an answer, "perhaps she couldn't. Perhaps she was afraid that you were still angry at her. Or perhaps ¾" 

"Perhaps she was sealed," the king said in a whisper. "Where did you say this cave is?"   
  
Kurama could feel the sharp claws rake across his skin, drawing more red blood from his already weakened body. The redhead was already bleeding from several open wounds. He couldn't take much more; in fact, none of them could. However, even through all the danger, they had continued to climb. They were only within twenty feet from the ledge, which was probably why Shinju's attacks have increased. Now, she not only relied on her powers but she also used that dragon body of hers. She would sweep towards the detectives and attack with those diamond-hard claws. 

When they were close enough, Kurama and Hiei used a burst of youki to jump towards the seal. Yusuke also threw caution to the wind and propelled himself up by using his reiki. Kuwabara, possessing neither youki nor enough reiki to do what the rest of his teammates have done, called upon his Rei Ken. He stuck his glowing sword into the cavern wall and used it as a spring to flick him towards the seal. Luckily for him, he used just enough force for his arms to reach the ledge. Thought they were about fifty feet left of the actual seal, they were now under its protective barrier that Shinju could not penetrate. 

_/Impressive. So, you've managed to reach it alive,/_ Shinju said, _/but don't think that seal's power will help you any. I may not be able to attack you directly, but I can still kill you./_

More rocks bombarded them. Yusuke focused his reiki into the ball of his fist and let out a Shot Gun. The powerful attack destroyed all the boulders that were flying their way. The raven-haired boy smirked smugly and stared defiantly at the white dragon in floating in front of them. 

The dragon stared back at the boy with her cold blue eyes. _/Once again, impressive,/_ she admitted, _/but I don't understand why you're fighting so hard when your friend's death is inevitable./_ Shinju switched her gaze towards Kurama. _/Look at how much blood he has lost. Even if I cease my attacks now, he'll die within a few hours./_

She was right. Kurama, who was kneeling and panting, was losing blood by the second. Dozens of cuts covered his chest and back, all caused by Shinju's razor-sharp claws. Hiei, of course, was by Kurama's side. The fire demon was also injured, though not as severely as his lover. He tried to suppress the bleeding with strips of his torn shirt while silently cursing himself for not be able to protect the fox. 

/It's a fitting place for him to die,/ she said, /next to the seal that his ancestor created from my blood. And once his blood has been drained out of him, I'll be free./ Her laughter rang in their heads. 

_Blood,_ Kurama thought through the pain, _That's the answer, isn't it?_ An idea struck him. It was their last hope, his last hope. "Hiei," he said to his lover, "I need you to distract Shinju for as long as you can." 

"What do you plan to do in your condition, fox?" the fire demon asked, more than a bit of concern evident in his voice. 

"Getting us out of this mess," Kurama answered. "Do you have enough youki to control your Kokuryuuha?" 

Hiei nodded. 

"Alright, on my mark, release it." 

Hiei didn't know what Kurama had in mind but he trusted his fox. He nodded again, already unraveling the ward around his right arm, slowly revealing the dragon tattoo. 

Kurama turned towards Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were a bit confused about what Hiei was doing. "You guys might want to get down." 

They did so without protest. 

_/The fire dragon again?/_ Shinju asked, _/It may have surprised me last time, in my human form, but I'm stronger this time. It won't have the same effect./_

Kurama ignored the remark. He focused his remaining youki and transformed into his youko form. The wounds still remained after the change but then again, he never expected them to disappear. The silver demon looked over at Hiei and nodded, giving him the sign to release his most powerful attack. 

"Jaoh Ensatsu Kokuryuuha!" 

The transformation had surprised Shinju. _A silver youko,_ she thought, _No wonder he's so hard to kill._ She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice the Kokuryuuha until it was five feet in front of her. Shinju dodged out of the fire dragon's path just in time. 

The Kokuryuuha was not about to be deprived of its prey. It reeled around and attacked again, chasing after the white dragon. Shinju, to counter the Kokuryuuha's fire, let her powers wash over her and transformed herself into a dragon of pure water. The two dragons of conflicting elements collided in the air, causing a huge energy wave. When the mist from the collision thinned out, the two dragons were still fighting, bodies intertwined. 

The strain of controlling the Kokuryuuha was taking its toll on Hiei. He almost lost his hold once already and he didn't know how much longer he could continue. _Whatever you're planning, fox,_ Hiei thought, _you'd better do it soon._

While the battle raged on, Kurama raced towards the seal itself, his youko form allowing himself to run faster than his human one. _Just hold her for a little longer, Hiei,_ Kurama prayed. He reached the seal just as Hiei collapsed from pure exhaustion, the Kokuryuuha dissipating as a result. 

With the black dragon gone, Shinju returned to the form of the regal white dragon. The dragon's mouth curved upwards into a feral grin as she watched the weakened fire demon. _/Pathetic./_ Then she noticed that someone was missing: her target. Her eyes darted around and found him right next to the source of the sealing spell. _/What do you intend to do, youko?/_ she asked mockingly. 

Kurama didn't bother to answer. Instead, he returned to his Shuichi form. He then put a hand over one of his numerous wounds and allowed the blood to flow into it, coating is completely. _Please let this work,_ Kurama thought. The redhead raised his now bloody hand and placed it directly in the center of the kanji. 

The effects were immediate. Kurama's blood reacted to spell and spread across the entirety of the seal. Soon, the character was coated with the vibrant red of fresh blood. The seal glowed brightly for a while and then, vanished completely from the cave wall, leaving no evidence that there was ever something written there. 

_/It's gone…/_ The voice came as a shocked whisper within their minds. _/It's finally gone…/_

Water and light surrounded Shinju's body. They enveloped her form and blocked it from view. When they finally parted, there floated not a white dragon but a radiant goddess. Shinju's ashen hair was no longer blowing freely but was styled to suit that of her true status. The top layer of her hair was put up and tied with a string of red pearls into two hanging loops. The rest of her hair was left hanging, tied by a band near the end. Shinju's clothes also changed to those of a goddess. Her top was made of blue silk and ended above her midriff. The borders were formed by dark blue scales. Her sleeves were a sheer, light blue silk, so sheer that they were translucent. The skirt was also blue, but of a different shade than the top, decorated by rosy colored trimmings, red pearls and other jewels. The ensemble was finished with a violet sash that floated around Shinju. The girl glowed with unearthly light and power. It was utterly beautiful. 

"Am I too late?" The silence that spread across the cavern was broken by an unfamiliar voice. At least, unfamiliar to the Reikai Tantei. 

Shinju's eyes widened in surprise. She slowly turned away from the four detectives and faced the new speaker. "Father?" she whispered. Tears filled her eyes when she saw the dragon king standing next to one of the tunnels that led to the outside world. There was a moment of pause and uncertainty but then Shinju raced towards her father. 

Ryuujin welcomed her with open arms. He embraced his daughter as she sobbed like the lost child that she was. Lost, but now found. "My pearl, I've missed you so much," he said in a loving voice, "I thought you were lost to me forever." He hugged Shinju's body even closer to him. "But now that I've found you, you will never suffer again." He raised his right hand and lifted Shinju's chin so he could stare into her crystalline blue eyes. "Let's go home." 

Shinju nodded and the two of them disappeared from the cave that was her prison for over two thousand years.

* * *

There it is, the last official chapter. Just a short epilogue left to post, so be on the lookout for that. Please review! 


	9. Conclusion

Author's note: It's very short but I wanted to end it more properly and on a lighter note.

* * *

**Confinement**  
Epilogue: Conclusion 

It was finally over. After the Ryuujin and Shinju departed, Koenma entered the cave, followed by an anxious Botan. She used her healing powers to stop Kurama's bleeding and heal some of his most serious wounds. Then, they all left the cavern, tired but relieved. Though they were only trapped for a total of three days, it seemed like an eternity. The four members of the Reikai Tantei were glad to see the sun and breath fresh air once again. They flew back to Japan and spent a week recuperating from the mission, and afterwards, everything went back to normal.

Well, as normal as it could get.

A month after they returned from China, Koenma called upon his four detectives again for a meeting. Yusuke and Kuwabara were grumbling as usual when they walked into the baby lord's office. Kurama and Hiei followed closely after them, the redhead smirking and shaking his head at their familiar antics, and the fire demon displaying his trademark scowl at their complaining.

Koenma greeted them in his teenager form. "You're all probably wondering why I've called you here," he said.

"If it's another mission," Yusuke replied with a careless wave of his hand, "just get on with it so we can get it over with."

Koenma smiled at the raven-haired adolescent. "Relax, Yusuke," he said, "I'm not sending you on another mission yet. You're here because someone requested an audience with all of you."

"Oh yeah? Who?" Yusuke asked.

"Me," a voice behind them answered.

The four turned to face the speaker and were shocked at what they saw. There, standing at the doorway, was Shinju. She was no longer in her goddess garments but that did not make her look any less regal. She had an ethereal glow around her as that fitting of a divine immortal.

Kuwabara, ever being the blunt one, spun around and looked back at Koenma. "What's she doing here?" he screeched while pointing a finger at Shinju.

"To apologize," the girl answered before Koenma could speak. She took a few steps forward, stopped a few feet before the group and lowered her head in a humbling bow. "I wished to apologize to all of you in person for my atrocious behavior inside that cavern. I let my hatred and lust revenge overtake my emotions and acted in ways unbefitting of a goddess." Shinju then transferred her gaze specifically to Kurama. "I also wanted to offer you my eternal gratitude for freeing me from the seal; I know I did not deserve that kindness from the way I treated you."

Kurama's speechlessness slowly dissipated during Shinju's earnest apology. Now he smiled at the girl in front of him and saw her in a different light. She was no longer the hysterical being he met in the cave. "I accept your apology and thanks," he said with a little bow of his own.

Shinju smiled at the redhead and then glanced over at the others, waiting for their answers. Yusuke and Kuwabara followed Kurama's example and received her apology gracefully. Hiei snorted and said nothing else. Shinju then glanced to Koenma and nodded.

The Reikai lord took the cue. "Now, Shinju and I need to discuss some things in private so you may all go now," he announced.

"What sort of things are you gonna discuss?" Kuwabara asked, curiosity and nosiness getting the better of him.

"Not that it's any of your business," Koenma retorted, "but we need to decide on a suitable punishment for Shinju, as she did hold thousands of souls captive during her confinement."

"Oh."

"So if the four of you will excuse us, we'll get started with that."

As the group of detectives exited the office, they heard something that made them stop in mid-step and chuckle.

"Shinju, how would you like to work as a Reikai Tantei?"

* * *

Done! It only took me forever 'cause of my laziness. Hope you all enjoyed it. I'm done with writing for now. My mind's blank of ideas and college is starting to strangle my free time. Please review 'cause it really helps me with my confidence. For anyone who cares, I drew a picture of Shinju in goddess garb. For some reason, won't let me put a link in here so if you wanna see the pic, click on the link in my profile. 


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